Firearms contribute to the cost of violence in the United States, because the use of a gun increases the chances that a violent assault or robbery will lead to a victim's death. Gun assaults are about five times as likely to produce a death as are knife attacks. Although handguns are less than a third of all guns owned, they account for three-fourths of all gun killings and an even larger share of major city robberies and assaults. As a matter of theory, the current national policy toward firearms in the United States is not one of free availability, but rather a policy of pluralism. States are expected to control their own destinies on firearms questions, and the large variance in State policy is not regarded as necessarily undesirable. The problem with this policy of pluralism is that it does not work; the death toll from gun violence and the fear it produces are a substantial national problem in the United States. The U.S. Federal Government has two types of policy decisions to face in the future. The first choice is whether the national government should be a primary or secondary policymaker regarding handgun regulation. If a primary policy role is chosen, then the second choice concerns whether the standards for handgun ownership should be restrictive or permissive. 2 tables, 1 figure, and 2 suggested readings